Cardinals Shouldn't Be Concerned About Iván Herrera's Slow Start

The St. Louis Cardinals catcher is going to be just fine in the long run.

Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been fortunate early on this season to have some pretty big performances from guys, especially Jordan Walker and Michael McGreevy.

One month in, Walker is slashing .283/.360/.566 with a .926 OPS, eight homers, 16 RBIs, four stolen bases, 11 walks, and 21 runs scored in 26 games played. Last year, Walker had just 29 walks in 111 games played. Walker is already just about halfway there in just 26 games. He's seeing the zone better, chasing less, and crushing when the ball is in the zone. McGreevy has been the Cardinals' best pitcher so far this season with a 2.97 ERA in six starts across 33 1/3 innings pitched. These two, along with JJ Wetherholt and Riley O'Brien have been the biggest bright spots for St. Louis.

One guy who started the season off somewhat slowly, but fans shouldn't be concerned about at all is catcher/designated hitter Iván Herrera.

The Cardinals Slugger Is Heating Up

Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) flips his bat after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Herrera is starting to really heat up. On April 15, he was batting .194. Since then, he's been getting the ball down. Herrera is riding a nine-game hit streak right now and has hit three of his four homers over the stretch. Since April 15, Herrera has increased his batting average by 46 points from .194 to .240 and now is slashing .240/.403/.417 on the season in 27 games. On top of this, Herrera has four homers, five doubles, 13 RBIs and 19 walks.

These numbers are surely below where he was after 27 games in 2025. Herrera was one of the hottest overall hitters to kick off the season in the National League in 2025. In his first 27 games, Herrera slashed .333/.421/.578 with five homers and 26 RBIs.

While Herrera's overall numbers this season aren't at the same level as the beginning of the 2025 season, his numbers over the nine-game hitting streak are closer. Over the last nine games, Herrera is slashing .324/.439/.647 with three homers and six RBIs. So, if you're a Cardinals fan who was worried about Herrera early on, there's no reason for concern any longer. It took him a bit to really get going, but his bat is starting to heat up and the Cardinals' offense needs it.

St. Louis is in the middle of a cold streak right now with four straight losses, but that will shift soon, especially if this version of Herrera is here to stay.